" At the moment, terrorism is used against Western countries as a tool to provoke the flow of migration to destabilize the European continent. It is worth remembering that Poland was the first victim of terrorism in the 30-ies. After the Smolensk catastrophe, we can say that Poland was the first victim of terrorism in the modern conflict that played out before our eyes, "- said March 13 in Torun Polish defense minister Antoni Macierewicz, during his speech at the international conference" Modern Politics: conflict and terrorism ". Speaking about the Katyn massacre of 1940, the Minister Macierewicz pointed out that "genocide is at the origins of the current situation in Russia." He added that "does not indicate any specific actions of the authorities." At the same time, he said, "still lies silent printing on the Russian people about what happened in the Soviet period, with their ancestors." "Only an independent Poland could loudly declare Katyn genocide. In 2009, yet it seems that it is. However, we found that an attempt to raise the issue caused a reaction, which is not expected by anybody in the world. This reaction brought the death of the entire Polish elite. I mean the death of the Polish delegation at Smolensk, "- said the head of the Defense Ministry of Poland. "Terrorism is a product of the Soviet-socialist ideas, and did not exist in the history of Western Christendom", - the Minister Macierewicz said. "We clearly see this in the history of the past 10 years. Without a doubt, an armed attack on Georgia was preceded by internal sabotage. Without a doubt, the goal of what happened near Smolensk, was depriving the Polish leadership, which led us to independence. The next steps were attacked the Ukraine, the occupation of the industrial part of the country, Malaysian Airlines plane crash, the intervention in the situation in Syria ", - he said. "Poland is a member of NATO and will be able to resist this, and get time on the restoration of the army, which will guarantee the security of the Polish" - added the head of the Defense Ministry of Poland. *****

Its the high ranking officers that push that story:

"Both the Russian and Polish official investigations found no technical faults with the aircraft, and concluded that the crew failed to conduct the approach in a safe manner in the given weather conditions. The Polish authorities found serious deficiencies in the organization and training of the Air Force unit involved, which was subsequently disbanded. Several high-ranking members of the Polish military resigned, under pressure from politicians and the media.

Various conspiracy theories about the crash have since been in circulation, and are promoted by senior political figures in Poland, who claim the crash was a political assassination, but no evidence supporting this version was found in the Polish investigation."

The only people who gained from this was NATO.

Macierewicz is an utter cretin, I guess he never read Bartolome de las Casas, so I guess he is so fond of the Western civilization. And he obviously does not remember the last German occupation of Poland.

On the other hand, it is not like the recent Russian anti-Polish movies helped.

Polish government is accusing its Russian counterpart of not co-operating in the investigation because the Russian government is refusing to hand over the plane's wreck.

In my humble opinion both governments are retarded.

Slavic countries have a general tendency towards being led by lousy leaders. There are some exceptions to that, more recently Milosevic (but he was overthrown), but that is the general pattern during the last few centuries.

"The Polish Armament Inspectorate has launched a new tender for new refuelling tankers for the Polish Navy.

The initial contract is for a single fleet tanker to be delivered between 2017 and 2020, with an option for another in 2020-2024. The new ships are to replace the obsolete tankers ORP Baltyk (ZP-1200 class, commissioned in 1991) and Z-8 (Project B 199, Moskit-class, commissioned in 1970). Bidder proposals are due to be returned to the Armament Inspectorate on 9 May.

The new Polish Navy tanker requirement is the ability to store 1,500 tonnes of fuel, 200 tonnes of portable water, and up to three 20 foot shipping containers. The fleet tanker must be capable of providing broadside and astern refuelling in harbour or at sea under the NATO ATP16(D)/MTP16(D) standard, and be equipped with two fuel pumps able to pump at least 150 m 3 per hour.

The maximum speed is to be 20 kt with a 16 kt cruising speed and an endurance of 30 days. It will also have four mounts for 12.7 mm WKM-Bm heavy machine guns for self-defence. The ship is to be able to support vertical replenishment (VERTREP) using helicopters and provide helicopter refuelling. The possible bidder must have built a double-hulled tanker with a displacement of at least 3,000 tonnes, and worth at least PLN150 million (USD40 million), in the last five years and is able to provide a testing place supported for 125 m-long ship with 5,500 tonnes displacement. The scoring of offers is based on 60% price, 20% warranty, and 20% delivery date (the final date is 31 October 2020)."

A five-year framework agreement is currently being finalised with Huta Stalowa Wola (HSW) and is expected to be signed before the end of April.

The contract will cover the fitting out of eight mortar companies with the new Rak 120 mm mortar system, which is mounted on the Rosomak 8x8 chassis (a Polish-variant of the Patria AMV). In total the order includes 64 Rak M120K mortar vehicles and 32 AWD command post vehicles (also based on the Rosomak chassis). These are divided into two mortar platoons per company, each equipped with four M120Ks and an AWD, plus an extra two AWD vehicles for the company commander and deputy commander. The first company set of equipment due to be delivered before the end of the year, with the Polish Land Forces expected to receive a further two company sets a year until the eight are delivered in 2020.

Later each company-set (also known as a fire module) will be equipped with a reconnaissance platoon equipped with two (or up to a maximum of four) 4x4 AWR artillery reconnaissance vehicles (based on AMZ-Kutno Zubr 4x4 armoured vehicle equipped with a battlefield surveillance radar and a telescoping electro-optical mast). Each company will also have a logistics platoon equipped with three or four AWA 8x8 ammunition resupply vehicles (based on a Jelcz P882.D53 8x8 truck), one AWRU 6x6 mobile workshop (based on a Jelcz P662D.35 6x6 truck) and one WZ support vehicle (also based on the Jelcz 6x6 truck).

Poland's Armed Forces are also expected to imminently make a final decision on the qualification of 155 mm HSW Krab tracked self-propelled howitzers (SPH). Delivery of the first two Krab SPHs, based on the Hanwha Techwin K9 chassis, are expected to follow in late April."

Polish Air Force MiG-29 and Su-22 Jets: Successors to Be Selected By 2022

The Polish Ministry of Defence plans to initiate the selection process for a new multirole fighter to replace the Soviet-made Su-22 sand MiG-29s now in service and which are reaching the end of their service life.

Operational requirements pertaining the new airframes have already been defined, any new procurement is dependent, to a significant degree, on economic conditions.

Sources tell Defence24 that the Ministry of Defence is initially focusing on the replacement of the Sukhoi Su-22M4 / UM3K with a modern, multi-role jet capable of engaging airborne, ground and naval threats, in any weather conditions, and in full cooperation with the relevant systems used by the NATO forces.

Within the framework of the regular Reviews of the Requirements for Operational Capability carried out in the Polish Armed Forces, operational requirements are being drawn up to determine how modern combat aircraft will be procured to consecutively replace the Su-22 and MiG-29 airframes when they are withdrawn.

“Initially, it is planned that a procedure making it possible to acquire a modern multi-role combat aircraft will be launched during the current planning term, i.e. by 2022,” said the spokesman for the Polish Ministry of Defence, Bartłomiej Misiewicz.

Despite the fact that a decision had been taken by the previous government to prolong the lifetime of the Su-22s by another 10 years, there is now an urgent need to replace those airframes, since their value on the contemporary battlefield is significantly limited.

Complex work carried out by the WZL-2 [Military Aviation Works No. 2] facility will allow further use of those jets in the NATO airspace, but modernization will not provide the Su-22 with the required combat capabilities. Regarding the MiG-29s, which are ten years younger and NATO-compliant, the issue is less pressing but the capabilities offered by these airframes, especially in comparison with the Polish F-16 C/D Block 52+ fighters, are very limited.

General Jerzy Gotowała told Defence24 that the Polish air force’s missions require the procurement of two squadrons of multi-role jets, so that the total number of airframes reaches at least 80. However, the criteria are not only tactical or technical, and financial aspects as well as the overall concept of operational employment are also very important.

It would be good if the air force could phase in the new aircraft before it retires their predecessors, especially in the case of aircraft that have been modernized, and that are still being used operationally at the moment.

The Su-22s are, at the moment, only used to maintain proper pilot skill levels, so if this role remains unchanged, they might be replaced by advanced jet trainers, or combat-capable trainer aircraft. The M-346 Master AJT platform is one of the considered options., but other manufacturers have offered solutions with a greater combat potential, such as the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II or the Eurofighter Typhoon. The latest version of the F-16 is also being considered in this respect.

Final decisions will be made on the basis of the operational plans, and with proper consideration given to the available funds. However, it is important to make a decision which would be informed and which, to the largest possible extent, would take the tactical and technological conditions into account, along with the urgent need to replace the obsolete aircraft which are harder and harder to maintain.

It is also going to be required to secure significant funds, and this will be a critical issue, as new investments will also be required for operational and training infrastructure, which could diminish future operating costs, such as for example training pilots overseas. We cannot rule out a situation, in which it would be required to increase the defence spending level above the current level of 2% of GDP in order to purchase the multi-role aircraft as well as other major weapons, such as new infantry fighting vehicles.

" At the moment, terrorism is used against Western countries as a tool to provoke the flow of migration to destabilize the European continent. It is worth remembering that Poland was the first victim of terrorism in the 30-ies. After the Smolensk catastrophe, we can say that Poland was the first victim of terrorism in the modern conflict that played out before our eyes, "- said March 13 in Torun Polish defense minister Antoni Macierewicz, during his speech at the international conference" Modern Politics: conflict and terrorism ". Speaking about the Katyn massacre of 1940, the Minister Macierewicz pointed out that "genocide is at the origins of the current situation in Russia." He added that "does not indicate any specific actions of the authorities." At the same time, he said, "still lies silent printing on the Russian people about what happened in the Soviet period, with their ancestors." "Only an independent Poland could loudly declare Katyn genocide. In 2009, yet it seems that it is. However, we found that an attempt to raise the issue caused a reaction, which is not expected by anybody in the world. This reaction brought the death of the entire Polish elite. I mean the death of the Polish delegation at Smolensk, "- said the head of the Defense Ministry of Poland. "Terrorism is a product of the Soviet-socialist ideas, and did not exist in the history of Western Christendom", - the Minister Macierewicz said. "We clearly see this in the history of the past 10 years. Without a doubt, an armed attack on Georgia was preceded by internal sabotage. Without a doubt, the goal of what happened near Smolensk, was depriving the Polish leadership, which led us to independence. The next steps were attacked the Ukraine, the occupation of the industrial part of the country, Malaysian Airlines plane crash, the intervention in the situation in Syria ", - he said. "Poland is a member of NATO and will be able to resist this, and get time on the restoration of the army, which will guarantee the security of the Polish" - added the head of the Defense Ministry of Poland. *****

Its the high ranking officers that push that story:

"Both the Russian and Polish official investigations found no technical faults with the aircraft, and concluded that the crew failed to conduct the approach in a safe manner in the given weather conditions. The Polish authorities found serious deficiencies in the organization and training of the Air Force unit involved, which was subsequently disbanded. Several high-ranking members of the Polish military resigned, under pressure from politicians and the media.

Various conspiracy theories about the crash have since been in circulation, and are promoted by senior political figures in Poland, who claim the crash was a political assassination, but no evidence supporting this version was found in the Polish investigation."

The only people who gained from this was NATO.

Macierewicz is an utter cretin, I guess he never read Bartolome de las Casas, so I guess he is so fond of the Western civilization. And he obviously does not remember the last German occupation of Poland.

On the other hand, it is not like the recent Russian anti-Polish movies helped.

Polish government is accusing its Russian counterpart of not co-operating in the investigation because the Russian government is refusing to hand over the plane's wreck.

In my humble opinion both governments are retarded.

Slavic countries have a general tendency towards being led by lousy leaders. There are some exceptions to that, more recently Milosevic (but he was overthrown), but that is the general pattern during the last few centuries.

Russia is not doing anything to create friendship between Poland and itself.

Poland is being charged the highest price for the Russian natural gas in the world; even Ukraine pays less, after its price was recently doubled (at certain times it did not pay anything).

There are a bunch of small parties in Poland that favor friendship with Russia, and Russia is not doing anything to support them. There was also the Self-Defence Party, which was friendly to Russia, but when two of its high-ranking members went to Russia they were murdered.

Also the venomously anti-Polish historical movies Russia has made.

Do not forget that Russia invaded Poland first, back in 981. Soon afterwards it even deported a portion of a Polish tribe. Yes, mass deportations took place over a thousand years ago.

And what are those really stupid unit names like "Viking" and Variag"? I think you guys are fighting these guys in the Donbass; does this not really sound extremely stupid?

Poland has chosen a path... Russia will no doubt try to keep cordial relations, but I suspect they realise ties will never get above trade partner.

_________________“The West won the world not by the superiority of its ideas or values or religion […] but rather by its superiority in applying organized violence. Westerners often forget this fact; non-Westerners never do.”

― Samuel P. Huntington, The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order

Poland has chosen a path... Russia will no doubt try to keep cordial relations, but I suspect they realise ties will never get above trade partner.

Join an Aggression treaty that was soley for one reason invented and that is Russophobia with only one goal to occupy russia and get her resources and afterwards you bitch about why Russia is not loving you without merits.

Do all polish nationalists get their heads filled with american double standards and logic absent remarks?

Poland has chosen a path... Russia will no doubt try to keep cordial relations, but I suspect they realise ties will never get above trade partner.

Join an Aggression treaty that was soley for one reason invented and that is Russophobia with only one goal to occupy russia and get her resources and afterwards you bitch about why Russia is not loving you without merits.

Do all polish nationalists get their heads filled with american double standards and logic absent remarks?

Well there was that Polish minister who stated that Poland is like a cheap prostitute who gives head, a while back.

Poland has chosen a path... Russia will no doubt try to keep cordial relations, but I suspect they realise ties will never get above trade partner.

Join an Aggression treaty that was soley for one reason invented and that is Russophobia with only one goal to occupy russia and get her resources and afterwards you bitch about why Russia is not loving you without merits.

Do all polish nationalists get their heads filled with american double standards and logic absent remarks?

Well there was that Polish minister who stated that Poland is like a cheap prostitute who gives head, a while back.

Lets agree that:

Poland = West's bitch

Putin's Russia = Germany's bitch

And why did Putin semi-abandoned the New Russia, and runaway to Syria?

"Poland's Armament Inspectorate has signed a contract with Przemyslowy Instytut Automatyki i Pomiarow (PIAP) for the delivery of 53 light unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) for its military's 'Balsa' requirement.

Under the PLN14.9 million (USD3.75 million) deal the first Balsa UGV is set to be delivered in 2016 for military tests and evaluation. Two main production batches of 26 robots will then be supplied in 2017 and 2018.

The UGVs are to be operated by explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) and engineering support units. The UGVs will support soldiers in the reconnaissance in dangerous or mined terrain including detection of improvised explosive devices in confined spaces like culverts or drains.

The Balsa design is a customisation of PIAP's Scout UGV. It is electric powered, with two hours of operational battery life, a manipulator arm, and four cameras, which includes an infrared channel. Scout was designed in 2008 as a modular, track-wheeled quick reconnaissance system with speed up to 7 km/h. The device weights 27.5 kg with batteries, manipulator, and main camera and dimensions are 670 x 540 x 570 mm (L/W/H) - enabling it to be carried in a backpack. The manipulator arm can lift up to 5 kg and has a maximum range of 1,170 mm. Scout can be equipped with handle for: Chemring, Proparms, or Neurex recoilless disruptors; semi-automatic shotgun; X-ray device; explosives trace detector; or chemical and radiation contamination sensor.

Scout is controlled by control panel with 800 m radio or 300 m fibre-optic transmission range."

"Poland wants new weapons for its F-16 Block 52+ jet fighters.The Armament Inspectorate of the Polish Ministry of Defense plans to acquire new air-to-ground ordnance for the F-16 Block 52+ jets, the backbone of the Polish Air Force.

The organ announced that a technological dialogue procedure has been initiated, the goal of which is to carry out a relevant market analysis and gather the knowledge about the ordnance which could be employed against the ground targets.

According to the official information, the Polish Ministry of Defense is willing to acquire three new types of armament: Anti-Radiation Missiles, submunition canisters and guided penetrating bomb units.

Within all of the areas listed above, the requests for being included in the dialogue procedures are going to be accepted until May 31. 2016.

So far, the Polish F-16 fighters are equipped with Paveway and JDAM bomb units, as well as the JSOW (Joint Stand-Off Weapon) weapons, complemented with free-fall Mk. 8x family bombs, as the Polish ZBiAM outlet reports.

In the next years, the Air Force will also receive the JASSM (Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles) cruise missiles – the relevant agreement pertaining to this type of ordnance has already been signed – the contract concluded back in November 2014 assumes that 40 such missiles are going to be acquired.

When it comes to the JASSM missiles “4040” airframe from the Poznan-Krzesiny airbase has recently left Poland and it stays at Edwards Air Force Base, California, undergoing the relevant integration process, along with a Mid-Life Upgrade program (PAF jets will receive the Tape M 6.5 avionics upgrade).

During the summer last year, Orbital ATK company has presented the AGM-88E AAGRM advanced anti-radiation guided missile, during a variety of events, including the Radom Air Show. Currently, the Polish Viper has no ordnance dedicated for SEAD (Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses) operations within its inventory. According to several media outlets, the AAGRM offer is endorsed by the US government."

32nd TACTICAL AIR BASE, Łask, Poland — The Polish military is in discussions with the United States about a new logistics agreement for its F-16 fighter fleet, with a military official arguing here that Warsaw should look to boost its F-16 fleet come 2025.

The Polish military also has had preliminary talks about a major upgrade package that would install active electronically scanned array (AESA) radars on at least some of its 48 F-16 C/D models.

Lt. Col. Robert Gurzeda, commander of the 32nd Tactical Air Base, told reporters during a visit that the Polish government made a “mistake” in 2003 when it signed a contract for 48 of the Lockheed Martin-produced fighters, because it did not involve a complete spare-parts replacement program.

Gurzeda, a logistician by trade, expressed concern over the haphazard way that parts are replaced for the F-16 fleet as a result of the existing contract.

“With the purchase package that we got, the Americans, they promised to send us parts. But the contract doesn’t say exactly how often we are to get them,” Gurzeda explained through a translator. “So it doesn’t say at every beck and call we’re going to get the parts we want. The deal we have is we have to send them our broken parts to be fixed, and that can last, it can take as long as 18 months.”

Asked what could be done to fix that, he noted that the Polish government is in discussions with the US about a new sustainment agreement, saying “we are talking about this with the Americans but I don’t know when we will see a new [agreement].”

John Losinger, a spokesman for Lockheed Martin, said the company has “participated in preliminary discussions with the Polish air force regarding their F-16 fleet support needs.”

Those discussions, which Losinger described as “early-stage,” are “focused on better understanding the Polish Air Force’s unique F-16 support requirements.”Defense News visited Poland as part of a government-organized trip for journalists. The Polish government paid for accommodations and transportation.

Gurzeda also expressed support for Poland to procure more F-16s come 2025, when the country’s Mig-29s are scheduled to retire from service.

“I think for us, it is the best to buy the F-16,” Gurzeda said. “I think F-35 is too expensive for us and we don’t have logistics to service it. I think if you are thinking about the next plane, this is F-16.”

That would mean Poland goes from a dual-sourced fleet down to just one plane, something Gurzeda said he was not concerned about. As a point of comparison, he pointed to Norway and The Netherlands, similar nations militarily that have one fighter type.

Łask is home to one squadron of 16 F-16 C/D models, which fly three to four times a week, according to Lt. Marcin Kawecki, one of the pilots at the base.

F-16 pilots fly between 120 and 200 hours a year, he said, while MiG pilots fly only 60 to 80 hours annually -- a necessity to keep wear and tear down on the older jets, which are also responsible for the NATO air-policing missions that Poland takes part in.

While the F-16s are not currently equipped with AESA radars, Kawecki said that upgrade is “planned.”

Losinger confirmed that the Polish government has been “briefed” on the F-16V upgrade package, which is built around the radar modernization. However, Losinger noted “any such deal would be subject to a government-to-government agreement between the US and Poland.”

"The roll-out ceremony for the first of eight Polish Air Force M-346 aircraft took place today at Leonardo-Finmeccanica’s facility inVenegono-Superiore (near Varese). The event was attended by thePolish Deputy Defense Minister, Bartosz Kownacki, the State Under Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, Gioacchino Alfano, and by theManaging Director of Leonardo-Finmeccanica Aircraft, Filippo Bagnato.

Mauro Moretti, Chief Executive Officer and General Manager of Leonardo-Finmeccanica said: “Leonardo-Finmeccanica is the only company in the world able to offer a complete technological solution that reduces pilot training times and prepares them to fly sophisticated, new-generation military aircraft. Today, many countries are turning their attention to integrated training systems that include both aircraft and ground-based simulation systems. These capabilities already have a proven track record at the Italian Air Force’s training centre in Galatina (near Lecce) where 11 NATO and Allied Air Forces are trained; pilots obtain their licences via systems and aircraft built by Leonardo-Finmeccanica.”

The first of 8 Aermacchi M-346 advanced trainers ordered by Poland in 2014 will now undergo a flight test programme to certify bespoke systems chosen by the Polish Air Force such as the brake parachute. It will then be delivered to the customer by the end of the year along with a second aircraft. Deliveries will be completed by November 2017.

The M-346s will enter into service with the 4th Training Wing Squadron at Poland’s Deblin base. With the M-346, the base aims to become an international hub for the training of military pilots.

The M-346 has been ordered by the Air Forces of Italy (18), Singapore (12), Israel (30) and Poland ( for a total of 68 orders."

Militarov wrote:"The roll-out ceremony for the first of eight Polish Air Force M-346 aircraft took place today at Leonardo-Finmeccanica’s facility inVenegono-Superiore (near Varese). The event was attended by thePolish Deputy Defense Minister, Bartosz Kownacki, the State Under Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, Gioacchino Alfano, and by theManaging Director of Leonardo-Finmeccanica Aircraft, Filippo Bagnato.

Mauro Moretti, Chief Executive Officer and General Manager of Leonardo-Finmeccanica said: “Leonardo-Finmeccanica is the only company in the world able to offer a complete technological solution that reduces pilot training times and prepares them to fly sophisticated, new-generation military aircraft. Today, many countries are turning their attention to integrated training systems that include both aircraft and ground-based simulation systems. These capabilities already have a proven track record at the Italian Air Force’s training centre in Galatina (near Lecce) where 11 NATO and Allied Air Forces are trained; pilots obtain their licences via systems and aircraft built by Leonardo-Finmeccanica.”

The first of 8 Aermacchi M-346 advanced trainers ordered by Poland in 2014 will now undergo a flight test programme to certify bespoke systems chosen by the Polish Air Force such as the brake parachute. It will then be delivered to the customer by the end of the year along with a second aircraft. Deliveries will be completed by November 2017.

The M-346s will enter into service with the 4th Training Wing Squadron at Poland’s Deblin base. With the M-346, the base aims to become an international hub for the training of military pilots.

The M-346 has been ordered by the Air Forces of Italy (18), Singapore (12), Israel (30) and Poland ( for a total of 68 orders."

The Polish Air Force has operationalised a new flight simulator representing its upgraded MiG-29A multirole combat aircraft at Minsk Mazowiecki Air Force Base, where the aircraft are based.

The new full-flight and mission simulator, called the SL (Symulator Lotu, or Flight Simulator) MiG-29, is developed jointly by Polish company KenBIT and Slovakia's Virtual Reality Media under a contract signed in April 2014. The agreement includes the delivery as well as logistics, maintenance, and training support.

The new simulator comprises the instructor's workstation, simulator cabin, and a six-projector visualisation system.

The cabin interior fully replicates the cockpit of the in-service MiG-29A aircraft. The display is hemispheric with 180° horizontal and 80° vertical field-of-view (FoV).

The high-resolution terrain database includes the Poland and Baltic Sea territory in 1:500,000 scale, and is based on orthographic imagery and recreated in 3-D with a resolution of at least 15 m, enabling trainees to fly at simulated altitudes as low as 500 m. The database also includes 10 regional airbases and airports, one mock airbase, and three virtual firing ranges in 1:25,000 scale with a resolution of 0.6 m.

Trainees are able to employ the full range of weaponry for the MiG-29 platform - the GSh-30-1 gun, R-27, R-73, and R-60 air-to-air-missiles (AAMs), S-8 and S-24 unguided air-to-ground rockets, as well as OFAB-100-120, OFAB-250, and OFAB-500 unguided bombs.

The simulator is claimed to meet the European Aviation Safety Agency's (EASA's) CS FSTD (A) Level C standards for full-flight training systems although its does not offer a motion platform and a collimated display.

It also features a modular architecture to facilitate future system upgrades.

Poland has considered to buy a $3.5 billion Polish-made Black Hawk helicopters after the country scrapped plans to buy 50 French-made military helicopters from Airbus Helicopters.

Polish Special Forces would be able to begin training with the Black Hawks later this year, Defence Minister Antoni Macierewicz was quoted as saying various media Monday.

The modernization of Poland's army became paramount two years ago when Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine, making Central and Eastern Europe anxious, Macierewicz said.

Leaders with the nationalistic ruling Law and Justice party said, the deal with Airbus didn't serve the nation's best interests. A preliminary deal with Airbus had been sealed by the previous, pro-European ruling party, Civic Platform. Law and Justice, which won elections a year ago,

They had been skeptical of it, but carried out talks for many months before announcing that the two sides couldn't agree on an offset deal, which was a major condition for the purchase.

In an offset agreement, the seller of a product or service agrees to invest in sectors or goods on the buyer's side, as a way of compensating or enhancing the value of the deal. Offset deals usually accompany large deals in the military industry.

The offers made by Airbus Helicopters failed to properly secure Poland's economic and security interests. Earlier Polish officials had hinted the value of the offset should approximately suit the value of the purchase and should help develop the nation's defense industry.